Home Care

When a friend contacted an Agency a few years ago, it was £25 an hour and double on Bank Holidays. It was a National Company and she did employ them for her Aunt, but quite a few issues.
Another friend employed a local Agency, a couple of willing young sisters attended - but always running late and everything was rushed.
Another friend’s son worked for a local agency - again tales of not having long enough with the client and everything pared down and rushed.
I should imagine if cost isn’t really an issue - your neighbour could request as much time as she wants.

We pay £30 an hour in Sussex. Private agency staff visit twice a week for an hour at a time. They have taken great care to ensure there is a team of four or five who visit regularly so they have built a familiar network around my mum.

I was fortunate that a friend had found carers for his mum a few years before I needed to. They had tried out quite a few agencies and so we benefitted from their experience. My advice, therefore, is to ask around locally for recommendations.

The NHS doesn’t provide carers unless people need specific nursing care Allsorts, I think your friend is thinking about Local Authority carers, who are often now Agency staff contracted by the LAs to help people get up or to bed?

My Mum has a LA carer in the morning (20 minute call) to help her get up and washed, and a one hour private lunchtime carer to cook lunch and prepare the evening meal which Mum and Dad then sort for themselves. They also have a cleaner, who is there two mornings a week, they are both in their mid nineties. I’d agree on the cost with what others have said.

I’d advise your friend to think carefully about her needs before committing to paying for two hours a day in the morning only, and then discuss her needs with a couple of agencies - not all care agencies provide carers who will clean and shop as well as provide personal care, so it’s really important to define exactly what you’re looking for first.

There are some agencies which provide more of a home help type service, but costs pretty big.

Around £30 ish an hour, roughly.
The council run home help service should never have been stopped, in my opinion.

I've a distant relative who provides home help, and has done for many, many years, helping do whatever is needed by people.

I wonder if it’s worth getting in touch with Age UK - as your neighbour needs ‘personal care’ rather than just general help.

I would not dismiss the NHS ones they do what they are asked they do their best in time given. No telling private agencies are any better! seriously worth looking out for adverts on local social media sites or shop windows sometimes there are people working alone willing to do care work

I have a "Micro Provider" at £20 per hour. They are vetted by Somerset Council but are self employed. What services offered varies with individuals.

In the UK private carers are hideously expensive. The NHS don't provide carers they arrange for somebody to come in, usually from the local council. They will come for 30 mins. in the morning and evening, maybe lunchtime. But you never know when they will turn up.

Beware of getting a private carer from advertising. I've worked as a carer in the past and people have told me they have had stolen clothing, wine, frozen joints of meat, cashback when paying for petrol for clients car, food, coffee, dishwasher tablets, duvet covers and sheets, jewellery, money etc. Get cameras before you employ anyone. Hope this helps. Best wishes x

Sazzl. That is so appalling! What world we’re living in to do things like this to people who are in need

My mum had her purse stolen when the only people who had been into her home were social services approved.

It's a minefield.

It is possible to find someone "just right".
My uncle has.
He is near Brighton and there are two or three people who "rotate".

I have a private carer who comes from a care company. She comes twice a week for four hours and does shopping and house cleaning but not personal care. I pay the company monthly. £30 an hour but the actual carer only gets £12 a hour plus £6 travel allowance.
She is excellent at the job now after a few errors. The main one being she was arranging things in my home as she thought they should be e.g. items in the bathroom put where I couldn’t reach them. This was soon stopped by me and apart from the occasional shopping shall I say mistake, we have now reached after 6 months a good working relationship.
The care company provides cover for holidays, illness and any other emergencies as that was something I was concerned about.
My daughter has discussed installing a couple of cameras especially in my bedroom but as I am in the house while the carer is here and she is always very busy I have hesitated to agree but I have thought about it.
I was very reluctant at first to have a stranger in my home but as I had got older I had to admit I did need help. I think it is important that you research the company carefully, try to speak to people who already use them, I was lucky as my sister had and recommended them highly.
Social services in my area no longer supply home help for non urgent cases but will suggest options available privately.
All I would say is do be careful and remember you are paying a lot of money for a service and if not satisfied don’t be afraid to complain.

I employ a couple of carers privately. I pay £20 an hour and it all goes to the carers, no agency. They come in when I need them and for the hours I want. As has been said, work out what you want them to do. I think very few agency’s will come in at a time you ask for, mainly a morning, lunchtime etc slot. But if it’s critical I.e. the person cant get out of bed without help then an agency is the way to go.

In Hertfordshire it’s around £35/£40 per hour. I’m a companion and my gentleman has a carer for an hour in the morning and an hour at night. You must read the TCs though as there’s lot of them.

Lots of cleaning agencies could provide a cleaner who will also do shopping and errands for much less than a trained carer. Care agencies will only provide what you need. There is a lot of issues with lateness and such but carers often have to cover for sick colleagues and can get
held up bt previous clients. You have to learn to go with the flow because its difficult to control.

Thank you everyone, the lady is now in hospital and will be out soon. Its seems a minefield whichever route you take to get good carers and so expensive, people with no resources must have a shorter life trying to manage.

I agree with Georges Gran. Get in touch with your local branch of Age UK. They are very knowledgable and very helpful.

Allsorts if she is frail/struggling this is a good time to speak to adult social care and get things in place for her coming home.

Your friend will need a care package in place, before her discharge from hospital.
It's important to ensure its done before she is sent home.

Your friend will need a care package in place, before her discharge from hospital.
It's important to ensure its done before she is sent home.

It's a few years ago now (2018) but when my Mum was in hospital after a fall, and ready for discharge, the hospital refused to authorise it until she agreed to accept a care package.
Mum was adamant that Dad could cope, we disagreed.
In fact the social worker told me that as I had power of attorney I could overrule Mum.

Thankfully she relented, accepted the care and both she and Dad loved having Rosie visit every morning to get Mum up, showered, dressed and downstairs.
It gave Dad a much-needed breathing space.

Allsorts your neighbour will be entitled to six weeks care free of charge after she leaves hospital.
In Mum's case the occupational therapist visited the house and arranged some aids, eg a second banister rail on the stairs and some grab rails where needed.

After that a financial assessment will be done and any contribution your neighbour has to pay will be decided.
She doesn't have to accept this if she doesn't want to for whatever reason.

They discharged my mum without care, with the result that she had to live with me for nine months.

MissAdventure that's not good at all ☹️
Mum was in Hampshire, I don't know if that would have made a difference. Different policies maybe?

The policy is that you can ask to see the hospital social worker, here.

They just kept putting it off, or they would not turn up, and my mum was discharged late one night, with nothing in place, and in a worse state than she'd been in when she was admitted.